Home Sweet Home

Federal employees are now one step closer to being able to perform their jobs from home, or from a satellite office closer to home, a few days each month.

The House approved legislation (H.R. 4106) on Tuesday that would require agencies to develop a program to allow employees to telework at least 20 percent of the hours worked during a two-week period, the equivalent of two workdays for most full-time employees.

"A happy workforce is a productive workforce," said bill sponsor Danny K. Davis, D-Ill., chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee on the Federal Workforce. He noted that providing telework opportunities could help boost productivity by cutting down on commuting time, reducing absenteeism and allowing for greater organizational flexibility.

The legislation calls for agencies to designate a senior-level employee to serve as a managing officer responsible for incorporating telework into their continuity of operations plans. Agencies also would provide training on telework to managers, supervisors and employees.

The federal government already allows teleworking, but many agencies are resistant to the concept. According to a May report by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, only 6 percent of employees participated in telework programs in 2006.

Studies have shown that one of the major barriers to implementing telework is resistance from front-line managers who fear a loss of control if employees are not visible. Among other concerns were data security and office coverage challenges.

Colleen Kelley, president of the National Treasury Employees Union, said in a statement on Tuesday that requiring a senior-level manager to be in charge of telework could be a useful step in addressing such barriers. "It is simply old-fashioned and outdated to think that employees cannot and will not be productive if they are at a work site other than their office," Kelley said.

Similar legislation (S. 1000) has been passed by the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. Differences in the two bills would have to be resolved, however, before the legislation could be sent to the president. The Senate bill, for example, would apply to both legislative and executive branch agencies, while the House bill applies only to the executive branch.

In March, the Congressional Budget Office estimated that implementing H.R. 4106 would increase agencies' administrative costs by $5 million in 2008 and much smaller amounts in subsequent years. CBO said any additional costs associated with adding legislative branch agencies as proposed under the Senate bill would be negligible.

"I am glad to see legislation move forward that will save taxpayers money, increase productivity and improve the federal government's ability to function in a crisis," said Rep. Tom Davis, R-Va.

In addition to telework, a range of other bills affecting federal pay and benefits could come before the 110th Congress in its final months. An aide to the House Federal Workforce Subcommittee said on Wednesday that bills to keep an eye on include:

H.R. 3799: Introduced by Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., the legislation would provide all employees with four weeks of paid leave for the birth or adoption of a child. They then could use accrued sick leave for an additional eight paid weeks of maternity or paternity leave. The bill passed the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee in April and is scheduled for a vote on the House floor next week.

H.R. 5550: Introduced by Danny K. Davis, the bill would raise the maximum age of dependents eligible for the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program from 22 to 25. Currently, health coverage for dependents ends on their 22nd birthday. Dependents then have the option of enrolling in a Temporary Continuation of Coverage program, which requires them or their parents to pay the full premium as well as a 2 percent administrative fee. Davis' legislation would create a young adult dependent option in FEHBP that would require dependents older than 22 to pay the full premium, but no administrative fee. The bill passed the House Federal Workforce Subcommittee in May, but it's unclear whether it will reach the House floor.

H.R. 2780: Introduced by Rep. James Moran, D-Va., the legislation would remove a financial penalty for employees who move to a part-time schedule near retirement. Current provisions governing the computation of annuities under the Civil Service Retirement System reduce retirement earnings for those employees. Moran's bill is designed to retain seasoned employees as they near retirement, specifically to help train and mentor the employees who will replace them. The subcommittee "wants to move [the bill], but it needs an offset," the House staffer said. "It will not move without one."

Finally, if you are an employee in the Federal Employees Retirement System who is hoping for passage of a bill (H.R. 5573) that would allow you to cash out sick leave at retirement, don't hold your breath. The sick leave issue is not on the committee's radar screen this year, the aide said.